Clinical effects of nonconvulsive electrotherapy combined with mindfulness-based stress reduction and changes of serum inflammatory factors in depression.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common and serious psychological condition, which seriously affects individual well-being and functional ability. Traditional treatment methods include drug therapy and psychological counseling; however, these methods have different degrees of side effects and limitations. In recent years, nonconvulsive electrotherapy (NET) has attracted increasing attention as a noninvasive treatment method. However, the clinical efficacy and potential mechanism of NET on depression are still unclear. We hypothesized that NET has a positive clinical effect in the treatment of depression, and may have a regulatory effect on serum inflammatory factors during treatment. AIM: To assess the effects of NET on depression and analyze changes in serum inflammatory factors. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 140 patients undergoing treatment for depression between May 2017 and June 2022, the observation group that received a combination of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and NET treatment (n = 70) and the control group that only received MBSR therapy (n = 70). The clinical effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated by assessing various factors, including the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD)-17, self-rating idea of suicide scale (SSIOS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and levels of serum inflammatory factors before and after 8 wk of treatment. The quality of life scores between the two groups were compared. Comparisons were made using t and χ2 tests. RESULTS: After 8 wk of treatment, the observation group exhibited a 91.43% overall effectiveness rate which was higher than that of the control group which was 74.29% (64 vs 52, χ2 = 7.241; P < 0.05). The HAMD, SSIOS, and PSQI scores showed a significant decrease in both groups. Moreover, the observation group had lower scores than the control group (10.37 ± 2.04 vs 14.02 ± 2.16, t = 10.280; 1.67 ±0.28 vs 0.87 ± 0.12, t = 21.970; 5.29 ± 1.33 vs 7.94 ± 1.35, t = 11.700; P both < 0.001). Additionally, there was a notable decrease in the IL-2, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in both groups after treatment. Furthermore, the observation group exhibited superior serum inflammatory factors compared to the control group (70.12 ± 10.32 vs 102.24 ± 20.21, t = 11.840; 19.35 ± 2.46 vs 22.27 ± 2.13, t = 7.508; 32.25 ± 4.6 vs 39.42 ± 4.23, t = 9.565; P both < 0.001). Moreover, the observation group exhibited significantly improved quality of life scores compared to the control group (Social function: 19.25 ± 2.76 vs 16.23 ± 2.34; Emotions: 18.54 ± 2.83 vs 12.28 ± 2.16; Environment: 18.49 ± 2.48 vs 16.56 ± 3.44; Physical health: 19.53 ± 2.39 vs 16.62 ± 3.46; P both < 0.001) after treatment. CONCLUSION: MBSR combined with NET effectively alleviates depression, lowers inflammation (IL-2, IL-1ß, and IL-6), reduces suicidal thoughts, enhances sleep, and improves the quality of life of individuals with depression.

[Transcriptomic characteristics analysis of bone from chronic osteomyelitis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the molecular mechanism of chronic osteomyelitis and to clarify the role of MAPK signal pathway in the pathogenesis of chronic osteomyelitis, by collecting and analyzing the transcriptional information of bone tissue in patients with chronic osteomyelitis. METHODS: Four cases of traumatic osteomyelitis in limbs from June 2019 to June 2020 were selected, and the samples of necrotic osteonecrosis from chronic osteomyelitis (necrotic group), and normal bone tissue (control group) were collected. Transcriptome information was collected by Illumina Hiseq Xten high throughput sequencing platform, and the gene expression in bone tissue was calculated by FPKM. The differentially expressed genes were screened by comparing the transcripts of the Necrotic group and control group. Genes were enriched by GO and KEGG. MAP3K7 and NFATC1 were selected as differential targets in the verification experiments, by using rat osteomyelitis animal model and immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 5548 differentially expressed genes were obtained by high throughput sequencing by comparing the necrotic group and control group, including 2701 up-regulated and 2847 down-regulated genes. The genes enriched in MAPK pathway and osteoclast differentiation pathway were screened, the common genes expressed in both MAPK and osteoclast differentiation pathway were (inhibitor of nuclear factor κ subunit Beta, IκBKß), (mitogen-activated protein kinase 7, MAP3K7), (nuclear factor of activated t cells 1, NFATC1) and (nuclear factor Kappa B subunit 2, NFκB2). In rat osteomyelitis model, MAP3K7 and NFATC1 were highly expressed in bone marrow and injured bone tissue. CONCLUSION: Based on the transcriptome analysis, the MAPK signaling and osteoclast differentiation pathways were closely related to chronic osteomyelitis, and the key genes IκBKß, MAP3K7, NFATC1, NFκB2 might be new targets for clinical diagnosis and therapy of chronic osteomyelitis.

Construction of a predictive model for acute liver failure after hepatectomy based on neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and albumin-bilirubin score.

BACKGROUND: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a common cause of postoperative death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is a serious threat to patient safety. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a common inflammatory indicator that is associated with the prognosis of various diseases, and the albumin-bilirubin score (ALBI) is used to evaluate liver function in liver cancer patients. Therefore, this study aimed to construct a predictive model for postoperative ALF in HCC tumor integrity resection (R0) based on the NLR and ALBI, providing a basis for clinicians to choose appropriate treatment plans. AIM: To construct an ALF prediction model after R0 surgery for HCC based on NLR and ALBI. METHODS: In total, 194 patients with HCC who visited The First People's Hospital of Lianyungang to receive R0 between May 2018 and May 2023 were enrolled and divided into the ALF and non-ALF groups. We compared differences in the NLR and ALBI between the two groups. The risk factors of ALF after R0 surgery for HCC were screened in the univariate analysis. Independent risk factors were analyzed by multifactorial logistic regression. We then constructed a prediction model of ALF after R0 surgery for HCC. A receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the value of the prediction model. RESULTS: Among 194 patients with HCC who met the standard inclusion criteria, 46 cases of ALF occurred after R0 (23.71%). There were significant differences in the NLR and ALBI between the two groups (P < 0.05). The univariate analysis showed that alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and blood loss volume (BLV) were significantly higher in the ALF group compared with the non-ALF group (P < 0.05). The multifactorial analysis showed that NLR, ALBI, AFP, and BLV were independent risk factors for ALF after R0 surgery in HCC. The predictive efficacy of NLR, ALBI, AFP, and BLV in predicting the occurrence of ALT after R0 surgery for HCC was average [area under the curve (AUC)NLR = 0.767, AUCALBI = 0.755, AUCAFP = 0.599, AUCBLV = 0.718]. The prediction model for ALF after R0 surgery for HCC based on NLR and ALBI had a better predictive efficacy (AUC = 0.916). The calibration curve and actual curve were in good agreement. DCA showed a high net gain and that the model was safer compared to the curve in the extreme case over a wide range of thresholds. CONCLUSION: The prediction model based on NLR and ALBI can effectively predict the risk of developing ALF after HCC R0 surgery, providing a basis for clinical prevention of developing ALF after HCC R0 surgery.

Strain rate-dependent failure mechanics of the intervertebral disc under tension/compression and constitutive analysis.

BACKGROUND: The intervertebral disc exhibits not only strain rate dependence (viscoelasticity), but also significant asymmetry under tensile and compressive loads, which is of great significance for understanding the mechanism of lumbar disc injury under physiological loads. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the strain rate sensitive and tension-compression asymmetry of the intervertebral disc were analyzed by experiments and constitutive equation. METHOD: The Sheep intervertebral disc samples were divided into three groups, in order to test the strain rate sensitive mechanical behavior, and the internal displacement as well as pressure distribution. RESULTS: The tensile stiffness is one order of magnitude smaller than the compression stiffness, and the logarithm of the elastic modulus is approximately linear with the logarithm of the strain rate, showing obvious tension-compression asymmetry and rate-related characteristics. In addition, the sensitivity to the strain rate is the same under these two loading conditions. The stress-strain curves of unloading and loading usually do not coincide, and form a Mullins effect hysteresis loop. The radial displacement distribution is opposite between the anterior and posterior region, which is consistent with the stress distribution. By introducing the damage factor into ZWT constitutive equation, the rate-dependent viscoelastic and weakening behavior of the intervertebral disc can be well described.

Regulatory effect of Yinchenhao decoction on bile acid metabolism to improve the inflammatory microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with extremely high mortality. The tumor microenvironment is the "soil" of its occurrence and development, and the inflammatory microenvironment is an important part of the "soil". Bile acid is closely related to the occurrence of HCC. Bile acid metabolism disorder is not only directly involved in the occurrence and development of HCC but also affects the inflammatory microenvironment of HCC. Yinchenhao decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, can regulate bile acid metabolism and may affect the inflammatory microenvironment of HCC. To determine the effect of Yinchenhao decoction on bile acid metabolism in mice with HCC and to explore the possible mechanism by which Yinchenhao decoction improves the inflammatory microenvironment of HCC by regulating bile acid metabolism, we established mice model of orthotopic transplantation of hepatocellular carcinoma. These mice were treated with three doses of Yinchenhao decoction, then liver samples were collected and tested. Yinchenhao decoction can regulate the disorder of bile acid metabolism in liver cancer mice. Besides, it can improve inflammatory reactions, reduce hepatocyte degeneration and necrosis, and even reduce liver weight and the liver index. Taurochenodeoxycholic acid, hyodeoxycholic acid, and taurohyodeoxycholic acid are important molecules in the regulation of the liver inflammatory microenvironment, laying a foundation for the regulation of the liver tumor inflammatory microenvironment based on bile acids. Yinchenhao decoction may improve the inflammatory microenvironment of mice with HCC by ameliorating hepatic bile acid metabolism.

Improved Synthesis of Hollow Fiber SSZ-13 Zeolite Membranes for High-Pressure CO2/CH4 Separation.

High-silica CHA zeolite membranes are highly desired for natural gas upgrading because of their separation performance in combination with superior mechanical and chemical stability. However, the narrow synthesis conditions range significantly constrains scale-up preparation. Herein, we proposed a facile interzeolite conversion approach using FAU zeolite to prepare SSZ-13 zeolite seeds, featuring a shorter induction and a longer crystallization period of the membrane synthesis. The membrane thickness was constant at ~3 µm over a wide span of synthesis time (24 ~ 96 h), while the selectivity (separation efficiency) was easily improved by extending synthesis time without compromising permeance (throughput). At 0.2 MPa feed pressure and 303 K, the membranes showed an average CO2 permeance of (5.2 ± 0.5) × 10-7 mol·m-2·s-1·Pa-1 (1530 GPU), with an average CO2/CH4 mixture selectivity of 143 ± 7. Minimal defects ensure a high selectivity of 126 with a CO2 permeation flux of 0.4 mol·m-2·s-1 at 6.1 MPa feed pressure, far surpassing requirements for industrial applications. The feasibility for successful scale-up of our approach was further demonstrated by the batch synthesis of 40 cm-long hollow fiber SSZ-13 zeolite membranes exhibiting CO2/CH4 mixture selectivity up to 400 (0.2 MPa feed pressure and 303 K) without using sweep gas.

MDM2 accelerated renal senescence via ubiquitination and degradation of HDAC1.

Senescence, an intricate and inevitable biological process, characterized by the gradual loss of homeostasis and declining organ functions. The pathological features of cellular senescence, including cell cycle arrest, metabolic disruptions, and the emergence of senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASP), collectively contribute to the intricate and multifaceted nature of senescence. Beyond its classical interaction with p53, murine double minute gene 2 (MDM2), traditionally known as an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in protein degradation, plays a pivotal role in cellular processes governing senescence. Histone deacetylase (HDAC), a class of histone deacetylases mainly expressed in the nucleus, has emerged as a critical contributor to renal tissues senescence. In this study we investigated the interplay between MDM2 and HDAC1 in renal senescence. We established a natural aging model in mice over a 2-year period that was verified by SA-ß-GAL staining and increased expression of senescence-associated markers such as p21, p16, and TNF-α in the kidneys. Furthermore, we showed that the expression of MDM2 was markedly increased, while HDAC1 expression underwent downregulation during renal senescence. This phenomenon was confirmed in H2O2-stimulated HK2 cells in vitro. Knockout of renal tubular MDM2 alleviated renal senescence in aged mice and in H2O2-stimulated HK2 cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that MDM2 promoted renal senescence by orchestrating the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of HDAC1. These mechanisms synergistically accelerate the aging process in renal tissues, highlighting the intricate interplay between MDM2 and HDAC1, underpinning the age-related organ function decline.

Application of Deferoxamine in Tissue Regeneration Attributed to Promoted Angiogenesis.

Deferoxamine, an iron chelator used to treat diseases caused by excess iron, has had a Food and Drug Administration-approved status for many years. A large number of studies have confirmed that deferoxamine can reduce inflammatory response and promote angiogenesis. Blood vessels play a crucial role in sustaining vital life by facilitating the delivery of immune cells, oxygen, and nutrients, as well as eliminating waste products generated during cellular metabolism. Dysfunction in blood vessels may contribute significantly to the development of life-threatening diseases. Anti-angiogenesis therapy and pro-angiogenesis/angiogenesis strategies have been frequently recommended for various diseases. Herein, we describe the mechanism by which deferoxamine promotes angiogenesis and summarize its application in chronic wounds, bone repair, and diseases of the respiratory system. Furthermore, we discuss the drug delivery system of deferoxamine for treating various diseases, providing constructive ideas and inspiration for the development of new treatment strategies.

Temperature and Strain Rate Related Deformation Behavior of UHMWPE Fiber-Reinforced Composites.

As they possess the qualities of high specific strength, high specific modulus, high specific energy absorption, and excellent designability, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber-reinforced composites have gradually replaced traditional materials such as ceramics and steel plates as the main ballistic protection materials. Using an improved test method, the uniaxial tensile tests of UHMWPE fiber-reinforced composites at two strain rates of 10-4 s-1 and 10-2 s-1 and a temperature range from -20 °C to 80 °C are carried out to study the effects of strain rate and temperature on the tensile behavior of UHMWPE fiber-reinforced composites. The experimental results indicate that the tensile responses exhibit nonlinear characteristics and the sensitivity of strain rate and temperature. The yield strength and modulus decrease with increasing temperature and increase with the increase in strain rate. A phenomenological viscoelastic constitutive model composed of a nonlinear spring and a nonlinear Maxwell element is proposed to characterize the temperature and strain rate dependent deformation behavior of UHMWPE fiber-reinforced composites before yielding. The results show that the model can accurately predict the tensile nonlinear viscoelastic responses of UHMWPE fiber-reinforced composites before yielding over a wide temperature range under quasi-static loading.

LTA and PGN from Bacillus siamensis can alleviate soybean meal-induced enteritis and microbiota dysbiosis in Lateolabrax maculatus.

An eight-week feeding trial was designed to assess which component of commensal Bacillus siamensis LF4 can mitigate SBM-induced enteritis and microbiota dysbiosis in spotted seabass (Lateolabrax maculatus) based on TLRs-MAPKs/NF-кB signaling pathways. Fish continuously fed low SBM (containing 16 % SBM) and high SBM (containing 40 % SBM) diets were used as positive (FM group) and negative (SBM group) control, respectively. After feeding high SBM diet for 28 days, fish were supplemented with B. siamensis LF4-derived whole cell wall (CW), cell wall protein (CWP), lipoteichoic acid (LTA) or peptidoglycan (PGN) until 56 days. The results showed that a high inclusion of SBM in the diet caused enteritis, characterized with significantly (P < 0.05) decreased muscular thickness, villus height, villus width, atrophied and loosely arranged microvillus. Moreover, high SBM inclusion induced an up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and a down-regulation of occludin, E-cadherin, anti-inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis related genes and antimicrobial peptides. However, dietary supplementation with CW, LTA, and PGN of B. siamensis LF4 could effectively alleviate enteritis caused by a high level of dietary SBM. Additionally, CWP and PGN administration increased beneficial Cetobacterium and decreased pathogenic Plesiomonas and Brevinema, while dietary LTA decreased Plesiomonas and Brevinema, suggesting that CWP, LTA and PGN positively modulated intestinal microbiota in spotted seabass. Furthermore, CW, LTA, and PGN application significantly stimulated TLR2, TLR5 and MyD88 expressions, and inhibited the downstream p38 and NF-κB signaling. Taken together, these results suggest that LTA and PGN from B. siamensis LF4 could alleviate soybean meal-induced enteritis and microbiota dysbiosis in L. maculatus, and p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathways might be involved in those processes.

The association between exposure to volatile organic chemicals and serum α-Klotho in USA middle to old aged population: A cross-sectional study from NHANES 2011-2016.

BACKGROUND: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) constitute an omnipresent category of environmental contaminants. Numerous studies have identified associations between various VOCs and human diseases. The anti-aging protein α-Klotho has been shown to exert protective influences across a variety of disease origins and progressions. This study aims to explore the relationship between serum α-Klotho levels and exposure to VOCs in humans. METHODS: This analysis utilized data from 1672 participants aged from 40 to 79 years in 2011-2016 NHANES. Exposure to VOCs was assessed through measurements of urinary VOC metabolites (mVOCs), with 16 mVOCs selected for analysis. Multivariate generalized linear models (GLM), restricted cubic splines (RCS), weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were employed to examine the connection between serum α-Klotho and individual mVOCs and mVOCs mixtures, as well as to identify the primary monomeric mVOCs responsible for these associations. RESULTS: Our research revealed that 8 mVOCs exhibited inverse associations with serum α-Klotho levels in GLM and RCS models. Particularly noteworthy, N-Acetyl-S-(2-cyanoethyl)-L-cysteine (CYMA), a metabolite of acrylonitrile, emerged as the most influential mVOC in both WQS and BKMR models. Furthermore, the mVOCs mixture was found to be negatively correlated with serum α-Klotho. The detrimental effects of mVOCs on serum α-Klotho were observed to significantly diminish in individuals with elevated serum vitamin D levels. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights a significant inverse relationship between serum α-Klotho and the mixture of mVOCs, indicating that exposure to VOCs may impact the molecular pathways of aging and related diseases by influencing α-Klotho concentrations. Remarkably, the attenuation of this association by high serum vitamin D levels implies potential therapeutic strategies. Our study underscores the importance of minimizing VOCs exposure to mitigate the adverse effects on α-Klotho. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these relationships.

Engineering Carbon Nanotube Yarns with Polyaniline Coating toward Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance.

The growing demand for wearable electronics has driven the development of flexible thermoelectric (TE) generators which can harvest waste body heat as a renewable power source. Despite carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns have attracted significant attention as a promising candidate for TE materials, challenges still exist in improving their TE efficiency for commercial applications. Herein, we developed high performance CNT/polyaniline (PANI) yarns by engineering the coating of polyaniline emeraldine base (PANIeb), in which CNT yarns were firstly coated by PANIeb layer and further doped by HCl vapor treatment. With the incorporation of PANIeb, σ and S were simultaneously increased to 1796 S cm-1 and 74.8 µV K-1 for CNT/PANIeb 4-2d fibers, respectively. Further HCl vapor treatment induced greatly increased σ to 3194 S cm-1, but maintained be 83 % value before doping, giving rise to the highest power factor of 1224 µW m-1K-2, higher than pristine CNT yarns of 576 µW m-1K-2. Combining outstanding high TE performance and bending durability, a flexible TE generator was constructed to deliver high out power of 187 nW with temperature gradients of about 30 K. These results demonstrate the potential promise of high-performance CNT/PANI-HCl yarns to harvest waste body heat for sustainable power supply.

Photothermal therapy of xenografted tumor by carbon nanoparticles-Fe(II) complex.

Due to the unique structure, carbon nanomaterials could convert near-infrared (NIR) light into heat efficiently in tumor ablation using photothermal therapy (PTT). However, none of them has been applied in clinical treatment, because they have not been approved for clinical evaluations and the precise temperature control facility is scarce. In this study, we designed a temperature-responsive controller for PTT and used carbon nanoparticles-Fe(II) complex (CNSI-Fe) as photothermal conversion agent (PTA) for PTT of tumor in vitro and in vivo. CNSI-Fe was an innovative drug under the evaluations in clinical trials. CNSI-Fe showed excellent photothermal conversion ability in water to increase the water temperature by 40 °C within 5 min under irradiation of 808 nm laser at 0.5 W/cm2. The temperature was precisely controlled at 52 °C for both in vitro and in vivo tumor inhibition. CNSI-Fe with NIR irradiation showed higher tumor cell inhibition than CNSI. In tumor bearing mice, CNSI-Fe with NIR irradiation achieved an inhibition rate of 84.7 % and 71.4 % of them were completely cured. Mechanistically, CNSI-Fe under NIR irradiation induced the radical generation, oxidative damage and ferroptosis to kill tumor. In addition, CNSI-Fe showed good biosafety during PTT according to hematological, serum biological and histopathological examinations. These results indicated that the combination of chemotherapy and PTT provided higher antitumor efficiency using CNSI-Fe as PTA.

Soluble expression of recombinant human interleukin-2 in Escherichia coli and its facile production.

Recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) represents one of the most difficult-to-produce cytokines in E. coli due to its extreme hydrophobicity and high tendency to formation of inclusion bodies. Refolding of rhIL-2 inclusion bodies always represents cumbersome downstream processes and low production efficiency. Herein, we disclosed a fusion strategy for efficiently soluble expression and facile production of rhIL-2 in E. coli Origami B (DE3) host. A two-tandem SUMO fusion partner (His-2SUMO) with a unique SUMO protease cleavage site at C-terminus was devised to fuse with the N-terminus of rhIL-2 and the fusion protein (His-2SUMO-rhIL-2) was almost completely expressed in a soluble from. The fusion partner could be efficiently removed by Ulp1 cleavage and the rhIL-2 was simply produced by a two-step Ni-NTA affinity chromatography with a considerable purity and whole recovery. The eventually obtained rhIL-2 was well-characterized and the results showed that the purified rhIL-2 exhibits a compact and ordered structure. Although the finally obtained rhIL-2 exists in a soluble aggregates form and the aggregation probably has been occurred during expression stage, the soluble rhIL-2 aggregates remain exhibit comparable bioactivity with the commercially available rhIL-2 drug formulation.

One-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework with Improved Charge Transfer for Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence.

We present a dimensional regulating charge transfer strategy to achieve an enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) by constructing a one-dimensional pyrene-based covalent organic framework (1D-COF). The dual-chain-like edge architecture in 1D-COF facilitates the stabilization of aromatic backbones, the enhancement of electronic conjugations, and the decrease of energy loss. The 1D-COF generates enhanced anodic (92.5-fold) and cathodic (3.2-fold) signals with tripropylamine (TPrA) and K2S2O8 as the anodic and cathodic coreactants, respectively, compared with 2D-COF. The anodic and cathodic ECL efficiencies of 1D-COF are 2.08- and 3.08-fold higher than those of 2D-COF, respectively. According to density functional theory (DFT), the rotational barrier energy (ΔE) of 1D-COF enhances sharply with the increase of dihedral angle, suggesting that the architecture in 1D-COF restrains the intramolecular spin of aromatic chains, which facilitates the decrease of nonradiative transitions and the enhancement of ECL. Furthermore, 1D-COF can be used to construct an ECL biosensor for sensitive detection of dopamine.

Construction of a 3D Quantum Dot Nanoassembly with Two-Step FRET for One-Step Sensing of Human Telomerase RNA in Breast Cancer Cells and Tissues.

Telomerase is an important biomarker for early diagnosis of cancers, but current telomerase assays usually rely on measuring the extension products of telomerase substrates, which increases the assay complexity. More evidence indicates that human telomerase RNA (hTR), as a core component of telomerase, is positively correlated with the telomerase activity. Herein, we demonstrate the development of a duplex-specific nuclease (DSN)-propelled 3D quantum dot (QD) nanoassembly with two-step Föster resonance energy transfer (FRET) for the one-step sensing of hTR in breast cancer cells and tissues. This assay involves only one hairpin probe modified with a Cy5 at the sixth base from the 5'-biotin end and a BHQ2 at the 3'-terminus, which integrates three functions of target recognition, target recycling amplification, and signal readout. The anchoring of the hairpin probe on the 605QD surface results in the formation of a 3D 605QD-Cy5-probe-BHQ2 nanoassembly in which two-step FRET occurs among the 605QD, Cy5, and BHQ2 quencher. Notably, the formation of 605QD-Cy5-probe-BHQ2 nanoassembly facilitates the reduction of background signal and the increase of signal-to-background ratio due to its dense, highly oriented nucleic acid shell-induced steric hindrance effect. This assay can achieve one-step and rapid detection of hTR with a detection limit of 2.10 fM, which is the simplest and most rapid hTR assay reported so far. Moreover, this assay can efficiently distinguish single-base mismatched sequences, and it can discriminate the hTR level between breast cancer patients and healthy donors with a high accuracy of 100%, with great prospects for early diagnosis of cancers.

Effects of Virtual Reality on Analgesia in Wound Care and Physical Therapy for Burn Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) in alleviating pain and improving the experience of burn patients during wound care and physical therapy. DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Database, and the Web of Science. REVIEW/ANALYSIS METHODS: We searched four electronic databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from the earliest available date up to March 1, 2022. The primary outcome was worst pain intensity, while secondary outcomes encompassed pain unpleasantness intensity, time spent thinking about pain, and fun experience intensity. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. RESULTS: This study included 21 trials. The combined data revealed that the VR group experienced a significant reduction in worst pain intensity, pain unpleasantness intensity, and time spent thinking about pain compared to the control group. Moreover, VR treatment was associated with a significant increase in the fun experience intensity. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Virtual reality has the potential value of auxiliary analgesia in burn care, and exploring a more perfect scheme of VR-assisted analgesia is worthwhile. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this meta-analysis indicate that VR can effectively reduce worst pain intensity, pain unpleasantness intensity, and time spent thinking about pain during wound care and physical therapy for burn patients. Additionally, it enhances fun experience intensity of the treatment period. Therefore, VR shows promise as a valuable complementary pain management intervention for burn patients.

Efficacy of acupuncture for a cough-related symptom cluster in patients with lung cancer: A randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on cough, expectoration, and shortness of breath in lung cancer patients. METHODS: Between December 2021 and June 2022, a total of 130 lung cancer patients were recruited, and they were split into control and intervention groups at random. Routine nursing was provided to the control group, whereas routine nursing with acupuncture using LU7 (Lie Que), LU9 (Tai Yuan), BL13 (Fei Shu), and BL20 (Pi Shu) was administered to the intervention group for 7 days. The severity of cough, expectoration, and shortness of breath was assessed 1 day before and after the interventions using the lung cancer-specific module of the MDASI. A two-way ANOVA was performed for group comparisons. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the symptoms of cough in the intervention group were significantly improved (F = 5.095, MD = -0.32, 95% CI, -0.59 to 0.04, P = 0.025), while expectoration (F = 0.626, MD = -0.11, 95% CI, -0.38 to 0.16, P = 0.430) and shortness of breath (F = 0.165, MD = -0.05, 95% CI, -0.27 to 0.18, P = 0.685) had no significant change. Cough also identified an obvious interaction effect (P = 0.014), and the post-intervention simple main effect test demonstrated a tangible difference between the two groups (MD = -0.66, 95% CI, -0.99 to 0.33, P < 0.001) post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture using LU7, LU9, BL13, and BL20 can relieve the cough of lung cancer patients, but not relieve expectoration and shortness of breath.

HT-2 Mycotoxin and Selenium Deficiency: Effects on Femur Development and Integrity in Young Mice.

Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD), an osteoarticular disorder, is potentially influenced by several factors, among which selenium deficiency and HT-2 mycotoxin exposure are considered significant. However, the combined effect of these factors on femoral development remains unclear, Conducted over eight weeks on forty-eight male mice categorized into control, selenium-deficient, and HT-2 toxin-exposed groups, including dual-exposure sets, this study comprehensively monitored body weight, bone metabolism markers, and cellular health. Employing biomechanical analysis, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we unearthed a reduction in body weight due to HT-2 toxin alone, with selenium deficiency exacerbating these effects synergistically. Our results unveil that both factors independently affect bone metabolism, yet their confluence leads to a pronounced degradation of bone health parameters, including alterations in calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D levels, alongside marked changes in osteoblast and osteoclast activity and bone cell structures. The notable damage to femoral cortical and trabecular architectures underscores the perilous interplay between dietary selenium absence and HT-2 toxin presence, necessitating a deeper understanding of their separate and joint effects on bone integrity. These discoveries underscore the imperative for a nuanced approach to toxicology research and public health policy, highlighting the pivotal influence of environmental and nutritional factors on skeletal well-being.

SIRT3 regulates cardiolipin biosynthesis in pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling by PPARγ-mediated mechanism.

Cardiac remodeling is the primary pathological feature of chronic heart failure (HF). Exploring the characteristics of cardiac remodeling in the very early stages of HF and identifying targets for intervention are essential for discovering novel mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 3 (SIRT3), as a major mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent deacetylase, is required for mitochondrial metabolism. However, whether SIRT3 plays a role in cardiac remodeling by regulating the biosynthesis of mitochondrial cardiolipin (CL) is unknown. In this study, we induced pressure overload in wild-type (WT) and SIRT3 knockout (SIRT3-/-) mice via transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Compared with WT mouse hearts, the hearts of SIRT3-/- mice exhibited more-pronounced cardiac remodeling and fibrosis, greater reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, decreased mitochondrial-membrane potential (ΔΨm), and abnormal mitochondrial morphology after TAC. Furthermore, SIRT3 deletion aggravated TAC-induced decrease in total CL content, which might be associated with the downregulation of the CL synthesis related enzymes cardiolipin synthase 1 (CRLS1) and phospholipid-lysophospholipid transacylase (TAFAZZIN). In our in vitro experiments, SIRT3 overexpression prevented angiotensin II (AngII)- induced aberrant mitochondrial function, CL biosynthesis disorder, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) downregulation in cardiomyocytes; meanwhile, SIRT3 knockdown exacerbated these effects. Moreover, the addition of GW9662, a PPARγ antagonist, partially counteracted the beneficial effects of SIRT3 overexpression. In conclusion, SIRT3 regulated PPARγ-mediated CL biosynthesis, maintained the structure and function of mitochondria, and thereby protected the myocardium against cardiac remodeling.